This Ain't Your Mama's Broken Heart

    She was sixteen when she met Carl. He was eighteen. Though there were rumors of a dysfunction in his parents' relationship, Carl was always happy. Tara was always found standing by the gate of Pastor Hall's big house.



    That was ten years ago. I watched the friendly happy Carl turn into someone else. He seemed unhappy. The bar on the corner was his new home after work. Timothy age 3 and Hanna age 1 were always asleep when their father finally made it home drunk. I never knew why he changed, and I was afraid to ask.



    Tess my mother-in-law often spent evenings at our table. She seemed to be hiding there until the Pastor Ted, my father-in-law, would go to bed. She would always help me put the children to bed. Tess seemed to always be interested in how Carl had been treating me.



    Carl came home one night drunk. The children were quietly sleeping.



    “Woman!” He screams. “Where are you, Woman!”



    “Shhhh... Carl, the children are sleeping.” Said that Tara.



    He staggers. “Where is my soup?”



    “I didn't make soup. I made pork chops.”



    Carl turns red. He slaps Tara knocks her to the floor. Tara refuses to scream as his blows come down one by one. “Carl, Please.. the kids..” She whispers. “Don't wake the babies.”



    Carl laughs. His hand raised ready to whale on her again. “Carl!” Someone stops him. Tara was stunned and could not recognize the voice. She could not see the woman for the blood in her eyes.



    “This Ain't Your Momma's Broken Heart,” Tess cries as she pulls the trigger. She turns the barrel of the pistol to her chin and pulls the trigger again.



    "Momma,"

     

    "Stay in your room Tim," Tara tries to sound calm as she dials the phone. She closes her bedroom door hiding the bodies behind it. The she gathered her children and walked them to her neighbors. She went back an sat on her stoop until the police came.





written for writer cramp 341 words